The National Lottery
Lottery is not a modern concept. Records show that the Chinese Han Dynasty between 205 B.C. and 187 B.C. had the so-called Keno slips believed to have helped the construction of the Great Wall of China. Moreover, the Chinese Book of Songs around the second millennium B.C. mentioned a game of chance by the drawing of wood or lots.
The first recognised lottery in Europe was held in the time of the Roman Empire as a form of entertainment during evening parties. The guests were told to get tickets and winners would receive fancy stuff like dinnerware. All holders of tickets were assured to get something. It was basically not gambling, but a kind of gift-giving by the noblemen. The lottery tickets being sold, however, was orchestrated by Roman Emperor Augustus Caesar to fund the reparation of the City of Rome. Winners went home with articles as prizes with varying values. In 1434, the earliest recorded public lottery was held in a Dutch town, Sluis. England first experimented with several games of chance. Then in 1569, the first recorded official lottery in the country was drawn as chartered by Queen Elizabeth I in 1566. Years later in 1694, the English lottery was established and continued operations for more than 250 years. The English government declared a final lottery in 1826, under incessant pressure of the opposition. Today, the United Kingdom hosts The National Lottery as its main lottery game.
The National Lottery is the U.K.'s largest lottery draw operated by Camelot Group. The National Lottery Commission regulates the lottery. To counter falling sales, the lottery underwent a major re-branding in 2002, although the mini-lotteries (drawn games and scratch cards) are still collectively known as The National Lottery. The prizes for the games are paid as a lump sum and exempted from taxes. For every pound expended on the games, 50 pence goes to the prize fund, 28 pence to public welfare, 12 pence to the government, and 5 pence to retailers as commission. Camelot gets 4.5 pence for operating costs and 0.5 pence for profit. All lottery players are required to be at least 16 years. Winners have 180 days to claim their prizes, otherwise the money will be placed for the good causes fund. Thus far, the largest U.K. prize amounted to 42 million pounds and was won by three ticket holders.
The Real Worldwide Lottery - Currency Trading on the Internet
